


Unmasked

by Mando_Cyare



Series: Connections [3]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Creampie, Din Djarin Removes the Helmet, Drowning, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Smut, It's Happening People, Love Bites, Love Confessions, Mentions of Bo-Katan, Near Death Experiences, Rough Sex, So many kisses, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, oral sex (female receiving), so many hickeys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:40:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28131822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mando_Cyare/pseuds/Mando_Cyare
Summary: Afterwards, Din would wonder why he didn’t hesitate.  The Way of the Mandalore was everything to him.  His Creed meant more to him than his own life.  Before everything, he would have died rather than willingly remove even a piece of armor.But now, with someone so dear slipping away before him, Din didn’t have it in him to hesitate.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), The Mandalorian/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Connections [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658815
Comments: 12
Kudos: 145





	Unmasked

**Author's Note:**

> It's Happening People! More of "character gets injured and makes Din think about his feelings". You all have been so wonderful in your support of Tesabi and Din's story, so here's some more for you. 
> 
> WARNING: Contains Spoilers for The Mandalorian Season Two!

It happened so quickly.

After a successful hunt, Din, Tesabi, and the Child had been forced to take the long route back to the ship. Bounty hunters had been sniffing around when they turned in the bounty, and Din hadn’t been about to risk it.

The ‘long route’ involved shuffling along a narrow ledge along a cliff face, more of a goat trail than an actual path. He had insisted on taking the Child with him, as he had more climbing experience and didn’t want Tesabi to be distracted. Below them, the river roared, spattering their clothes with mist.

“Now would be a shitty time to find out I’m afraid of heights, huh?” Tesabi shouted over the roar.

Din directed a silent stare over his shoulder, knowing that she would take his exasperated meaning, even if she couldn’t hear his heavy sigh. Turning back to the path ahead, he heard a faint echo of her laughter. It was good that she wasn’t too nervous. The rocks in the river below were just as dangerous as the swift flowing waters. If he fell, trying to swim in his beskar would be a nightmare.

But it wasn’t himself that he needed to be worrying about.

Neither of them heard the crack of rock giving way, but Din heard Tesabi’s scream as the ledge crumbled under her. Din’s head snapped around, just in time to see the look of horror on her face as she slipped away from the cliff, arms outstretched towards him.

The last thing Tesabi heard was Din screaming her name, and the last thing she saw was him taking flight, reaching for her.

She hit the water and vanished, popping up quickly only to be slammed against a protruding pillar of rock. Din’s sharp eyes saw the smear of red on the stone before it, and Tesabi, were swept away again.

He screamed, clutching the Child close as he wove over the river, searching for any sign, any sound. Anything.

Panic yawned open in his chest, adrenaline rushing in his veins. No. No, he couldn’t lose her. She had fought with him through everything, she couldn’t…

His memory of the ship on Trask flashed through his mind, when the Child had been flung into the belly of the hold to be eaten. Tesabi’s scream had been that of an injured animal, and Din remembered her fighting on the deck, snarling and cursing and drawing blood from anyone that got too close. She had been ready to die for him, for the Child.

And now he had lost her.

Din’s eyes burned, and he hurriedly blinked the tears away, cycling through all the vision settings in his helmet. Maybe he could find her by her body heat, by infrared…

But there was nothing. Just the rush of the water, the pounding of his heart, and… The Child was crying, wailing and reaching towards the water. Din’s stomach clenched, and he swallowed against the lump in his throat. No. This couldn’t be the end.

He wouldn’t lose his _cyare_ like this. Not when she didn’t even know… Stars, why hadn’t he told her? Why couldn’t he have _said_ something? Anything?

Minutes were ticking by, longer and longer without any sign of life. The tears were coursing down his cheeks now, hot and burning, a brand of shame that he had let this happen. He should have had her go first where he could watch her, he should have tied them together, he should have…

There! 

Hung up on rock, a flash of burgundy; the coat she had purchased on Trask.

Din dove down, holding the child with one arm as he grabbed a fistful of Tesabi’s coat. Her body came with it, straining his jetpack with the extra weight. He raced to the shallows, dropping onto his own feet and dragging her body onto the shore. Dumping the Child as gently as he could, he crouched over Tesabi, rolling her onto her back.

The icy water had robbed the color from her skin, her lips tinged blue.

And she wasn’t breathing. Din tore open her coat, slipping his hand under her clothes and pressing hard on her chest. He couldn’t feel anything. No heartbeat, nothing.

“No, no, no, no…”

Din flattened his hands together on her chest, pressing rhythmically, trying to get her going again. But her body only jerked limply, lifeless and still.

Panic seized him anew, his mind racing and his heart pounding.

She needed air, needed to breath! He needed to help her!

Afterwards, Din would wonder why he didn’t hesitate. The Way of the Mandalore was everything to him. His Creed meant more than his own life. Before everything, he would have died rather than willingly remove even a _piece_ of armor.

But now, with someone so dear slipping away before him, Din didn’t have it in him to hesitate.

He ripped off his helmet, gripping Tesabi by the jaw to open her mouth and angle her head. Once he was sure that she wouldn’t choke on her own tongue, he bent again, pinching her nose and breathing a deep lung-full of air into her. 

Chest compressions again, in beats of three. Then he breathed into her again, unaware that he was pleading between breaths.

“Please, breathe. Tesabi, please. Breathe, breathe, breathe!”

Three more times he repeated the process, his tears mingling with the river water on her face. He gave no thought to the Creed, to his vows, or to anything. All he wanted was for her to kriffing _breathe_!

Tesabi lurched, spewing up water and bile while Din quickly turned her towards him and onto her side. Her wracking coughs sounded beautiful to him, because she was _alive_ , she was _breathing_. The broken sob in his throat turned to a bark of laughter.

The world was spinning above her as Tesabi came back to herself, gasping and hacking as if her body was trying to expel the entire river from her lungs. Curling in on herself, a shudder rolled through her, eyes squeezing shut. Then familiar gloved hands were lifting her into something like a sitting position, leaning back on strong arms.

As her head lolled back, chest still heaving, Din’s familiar helmet swam into view. Tesabi tried to speak, his name gurgling in the back of her throat as his hand smoothed over her cheek, pushing her hair out of her eyes. She reached for him, and he caught her hand, holding it to the side of his helmet.

“It’s okay,” he breathed, as much for himself as for her. Her rapidly blinking eyes were still wide with panic, and his own throat felt as if it were trying to close around the lump that had risen. “You’re okay, sweet girl. I’ve got you.”

There was a gash torn open along the back of her shoulder, and Din thanked the stars that it hadn’t been her head against those rocks. Another shudder rolled through Tesabi, and it was like she was coming back to life all over again, surging up in his arms, grabbing for him in desperation.

Din finally let himself squeeze her close, cradling the back of her head. Her breathing was still coming hard and fast, but it was evening out, and had lost the terrifying wet retching sound. As her arms wound around him in return, holding tight, Din tried to swallow the lump in his throat down.

His helmet had come off.

He had bared his face to the world.

But Tesabi was alive.

She wasn’t lying cold and still on the riverbank, or swept off to be broken against the rocks, lost forever.

She was… Well she wasn’t _warm_ , but she was still _alive_ , clinging to him with all her strength.

Din found himself rocking her in his arms, whispering in her ear. “I’ve got you, sweet girl. You’re safe, I’ve got you. It’s alright…”

When Tesabi finally found her voice, all she could manage was his name. “Din…” Her voice was an alien rasp, her throat burning. Death was not a warm welcome into a dark embrace. There had been nothing but fear and cold and the current, tearing her away from everything.

“Hey, look at me,” Din coaxed, voice low and rough. She did, his hand cupping her cheek, thumb stroking over her skin. He found a strange mixture of fear and relief in her eyes, and some fierce, deep part of him was sure that it had been worth it. _This_ , right here in his arms, had been worth it.

“Are you—?” Tesabi tried, only to start coughing again.

Din refused to let go of her. “Don’t talk yet.” The gash on her shoulder didn’t seem to be bleeding too heavily, but he could see other bruises starting to darken on her skin. But she was also shivering, soaked to the bone.

A wave of exhaustion swept through her, and she sagged in his arms, only dimply aware of the Child climbing into her lap, a little lump of warmth that touched her face with tiny, cool hands. They got back to the ship somehow, but Tesabi couldn’t have said how.

She was dimly aware of Din undressing her, quickly rubbing her body dry with one of the threadbare towels kept near the fresher. Then all she could smell was him, warmth wrapping around her; she was wearing his clothes. Tesabi became aware for a brief moment when a needle pierced the crook of her elbow, wincing and uttering a soft curse.

A warm, soft hand smoothed her hair out of her face, gloved fingers stroking her cheek. Without a single thought, she turned her face into the touch, kissing the word leather. She was safe. There was nothing to worry about now, not when she was with Din.

At some point, the child crawled into her lap, nuzzling into the renewed warmth of her chest and cooing softly. Eyes still closed, Tesabi wrapped her arms around him, and finally drifted off again.

Standing outside what had once been the Child’s nook, Din leaned against the opening. She would be okay. Nothing but some scrapes and bruises; she had been lucky. But the tightness in his chest was still there, a dull ache that sometimes sharpened enough to twist in his guts. 

He’d broken the Creed, there was no way around it.

 _‘It’s not a problem for other Mandalorians, though,’_ his brain supplied, helpfully offering an image of Bo-Katan and her friends. A ‘Child of the Watch’ they’d called him. The words had dug up an ancient memory, faded at the edges with time.

It was just a couple of words, a phrase that had been passed around before he’d come to the first Covert. 

Death Watch.

He didn’t have any context for it, but it was too much of a coincidence. Bo-Katan and her fellows had spoken Mando’a flawlessly and fought in a similar style to his own Covert. It was enough to make things… well, not _likely,_ but feasible. And his own Clan _had_ allowed a Mandalorian to show their face to their _riduur_ —their spouse—and to their children.

Maybe… maybe…

Din huffed and turned away. Tesabi had seen more of him than even the Child, and there were still nights where he dreamt of her lips and hands against his skin. But the helmet felt _different_. His helmet practically _was_ his face, his identity. And it had all come off without a moment of hesitation.

For her.

Behind the helmet, Din closed his eyes, and let out a shaky breath. Away from the nook, he sagged against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. The same fierce part of him as before reared up again. 

It had been _worth_ it. If he had to bear some measure of shame to keep his _cyare_ safe…

 _Cyare_... There was that word again. Beloved. Thinking it without the panic of her injury shook him to his core, and his body tightened, curling inward. Was that really what she was to him? They had only been traveling together for a few months, could she really…?

And yet, _of course_ she was. She was kind and strong, with a strict moral code that led her to put herself in harm’s way to protect the innocent, to protect those she cared for. She loved the Child fiercely, with somehow endless patience for his antics. And Din… Din couldn’t pretend he didn’t know about her feelings.

As hard as she might try to hide them, Din still sometimes saw the looks she gave him. The quiet contentment and joy, the deep sadness and longing, and the shy, soft little smiles… She’d been giving him them for a while, and he hadn’t known what to make of them at first.

Din had tried to tell himself it was awe, the respect for a fellow warrior, for warrior she was. But after his injury on a hunt, after they gave in to the tension that had started to weave itself around them in a cloud, he couldn’t dismiss her looks anymore.

She never said anything. 

Tesabi just sent him off on his hunts with well wishes, the worry vanishing from her eyes each time he returned victorious. She cared about him, deeply. But she never pushed, never asked for more than he gave. Tesabi accepted him _and_ his Creed with the utmost respect. She would never have asked him to remove his helmet, never asked if there were loopholes where she might know more of him.

That all made it _worse_. 

If Din had broken his vows for _her_ , it would break Tesabi’s heart. She would blame herself, when it had been no one’s choice but Din’s. Din couldn’t bear that. Maybe meeting Bo-Katan had made _her_ wonder, too. Wonder if there was a chance for something more. She hadn’t asked Din about it, hadn’t said _anything_ on the subject.

Pushing back to his feet, Din climbed the ladder to the cockpit to chart their course.

000

It wasn’t the first time Tesabi had awoken to a pair of little green hands squishing her cheeks, and she blinked blearily up at the Child, his green face filling her vision. Seeing her awake, he cooed happily, tapping her cheek a few times. 

“’M up, ‘m up,” Tesabi mumbled, pushing into a sitting position. The motion made her groan, and her head sagged briefly between her shoulders. She’d been through worse, and felt shittier.

With the Child in one arm, Tesabi scooted out of the nook to warm up some soup and rations. The Child did better with soups when they couldn’t find him live critters to eat. Setting the Child down with one of the toys purchased for him, Tesabi started her ration rehydrating while the cube of soup was defrosted in the heater.

She was chewing slowly on a mixed bite of polystarch and veg-meat when she heard Din’s boots on the ladder. Still tired, she didn’t turn, rubbing a hand over her eyes. “Everything alright up there?” she mumbled, turning to face him.

Without hesitation, Din reached for her, pulling her into a careful embrace, and bowing his helmet into her shoulder. Tesabi blinked, coming more awake. Then she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly, nuzzling into the side of his helmet.

He held her there even after the heater beeped in completion, his hands curling into fists around the fabric of her borrowed shirt. Finally, he leaned back, hands still on the back of her arms. His helmet tilted as he looked her over. There was a scabbed over cut along one cheek, and a bruise blooming over another cut on her jaw. One hand lifted to hover near the area, but quickly fell back to his side as he finally let go.

“Are you alright?” he asked, disregarding her own question.

Feeling warmth in her cheeks, Tesabi nodded, pulling the Child’s bowl from the heater, handing it to him after testing the temperature. When she straightened, Din was still looking at her. “I’m alive, and I’ve been through worse,” she said with a shrug.

Din’s throat tightened. There was that same tired smile, the one she gave to reassure him when she’d been up for long hours working on the Crest, or when the Child had been particularly trying that day. How she could manage that look when she had kriffing _drowned_ was beyond him.

“Tesabi…” He reached for her again, cupping her uninjured cheek carefully.

“It’s fine,” she said again. “It all worked out.” She sounded so… so _casual_.

“You weren’t breathing.” The words tumbled out of Din before he could stop them, swallowing hard at the memory. She blinked, eyes widening at him as her smile fell away. “I… I tried to get your heart going again, but… but it wasn't enough…”

His voice very nearly _broke_ to say the words aloud, to speak them into reality was to acknowledge that it had really happened. Tesabi’s brows furrowed in confusion. “But I’m fine, I don’t…” 

How had he gotten her breathing if…?

Her mouth went dry, something very close to fear and horror crossing her face. “Din… what happened?” Her voice was a cracked whisper, words trembling and eyes darting across his visor for some _hint_ , for anything.

Din swallowed hard, anxiety making heat begin to burn in his chest and under his skin. The hand on her cheek slid into her hair to cup the back of her head, pulling her in as he bowed his helmet to touch her brow; a strange, one-sided sort of kelbade kiss.

“I couldn’t let you die.”

The words cut like a knife, a lump rising in Tesabi’s throat and tears pricking her eyes. “No…” He couldn’t have. Not for her, not after everything.

Din kept her close, his free hand searching for hers. “Please… please don’t cry, sweet girl,” he whispered, stroking away a falling tear with his thumb. “Please don’t cry…”

He sounded so Maker-damned _soft_ , his touch so achingly gentle. It was almost more than she could bear. “I’m sorry!” She shook her head, eyes squeezing shut against the tears. “Din, I’m so sorry…”

She didn’t fight as he pulled her into him again, still holding the back of her head. He squeezed a little tighter this time, his other arm around her back. He wasn’t pushing her away, wasn’t running, wasn’t angry. He just… held her. The thought that she could be worth that much to him, that her life was so important that he would risk his very identity, was almost more than she could bare.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Din said, trying to impart his sincerity into every syllable. “It was no choice but mine.”

“But if I hadn’t fallen—!” she began.

Din pulled back just enough to look at her, a firm hand taking her by the jaw and tilting her face back to him. “I regret nothing.” The moment he said it, he realized it was true. It still hurt, to think that he had broken his vows in some way. But he didn’t regret what he had done. “And I don’t blame you.”

When her eyes tried to slide away, Din shook her gently. “Look at me, _cyar’ika_.” She did, tears still in her eyes. “There is no version of what happened where I wouldn’t save you.”

“I don’t… I don’t know what that means,” she said tearfully. “That word, it’s…”

“Mando’a,” Din answered. He swallowed, voice faltering slightly. “It… it means… sweetheart,” he whispered. “There’s…” He paused, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he swallowed. “There’s another word. _Cyare_. It means… it means _beloved_.”

Tesabi’s stomach dropped, her mind spinning. Had… had Din really just said that? Her own feelings surged, her heart aching. Could this really be happening? She had dreamed about it, whispered the words to herself in the dark when she was alone. She had never let herself say it in the light of day, too close to reality. Acknowledging her feelings like that would mean accepting that she could never have what she wanted.

And yet… What she craved most in the world was being handed to her on a silver platter.

Din cupped her face in his hands, and Tesabi’s breath caught in her throat. “I couldn’t let you die, _cyare_ ,” Din said again.

Then he was letting go, his hands drawing back to himself and lifting. For Tesabi, it was as if the world moved in slow motion, everything slowing to a crawl. Din pressed something on the side of his helmet, triggering a beep and then the hiss of a seal coming undone.

She wanted to stop him, to catch his hands and tell him that he didn’t have to, that it was enough to have saved her; he didn’t have to do this, too. But then he was lifting the helmet from his head, holding it between him as he looked at her with a pair of soft, brown eyes.

Din was beautiful. His dark brown hair had a defined curl to it, despite being mussed from under the helmet, and it was longer than Tesabi had expected. A thin, stubbly beard traced the sharp line of his square jaw and upper lip. His thin lips were lightly chapped, and suddenly all Tesabi could think of was kissing them.

The look in his eyes was uncertain, jaw shifting as if he wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say. Without the protection of his helmet, Din felt exposed, more vulnerable than he had ever been. And yet she looked at him with wonder, the tears drying on her cheeks as her hazel-green eyes searched his face.

Tesabi didn’t know what to say. Her hand reached out, fingers trembling. But she hesitated, hand dropping back to her side. So Din took it in his own. He was just as hesitant and awkward as he lifted her hand back to his face, hesitating a moment longer before he laid her hand on his bare cheek. They both gasped softly at the contact, and Din’s eyes fluttered closed, the hand still holding his helmet dropping to the side.

As if drawn by a magnet, Tesabi stepped in, closing the distance between them, her hand still anchored on his cheek. His light brown skin was warm to the touch, and his expression could only be called nervous. Was this what had been lurking behind that beskar? This beautiful, soft looking man?

Tesabi drew her fingers along his cheek, his sparse beard tickling her palm. The rest of the world faded at the edges, blurring until all she could see, all she could think of, was kissing him. The longing burned in her chest, the heat spiraling out into her limbs, making her skin feel drawn tight.

Din had never looked at her like this. It had always been through the shade of his visor. Her eyes looked like deep green jewels flecked with honey gold, framed by long, dark lashes, and surrounded by a scattering of freckles. She was radiant, even in the dim, cool light of the ship. He knew the feel of her lips in a distant sort of way; from the touch of his fingers, to the way she had plied them so carefully on his skin, as if the opportunity had been a gift.

But Din didn’t know how to kiss her. Didn’t know how she liked to be kissed. His cheeks heated further at the thought of his own inexperience, uncertainty wavering in his mind. But then her thumb brushed the corner of his mouth, so careful; as if he might shatter or fade away entirely.

Din bent his head, his free arm circling around her waist and drawing her flush against him. She gasped softly when his brow touched hers, their noses slotting together. He could catch a faint whiff of rations on her breath, the warm puff of it against his lips sending a shiver rolling down his spine.

Then his hand was tangled in the hair at the back of her head, pulling her the last scant inch to press his lips to hers. It was a simple press of lips, but firm and warm in a way that made them both tremble. A whine cracked in the back of Tesabi’s throat as she threw her arms around him, sinking careful fingers into his hair. It was soft and fine like hers, she realized.

The kiss, as gentle and chaste as it was, was like a punch to the gut. Din groaned brokenly, reaching blindly to set his helmet on top of the food heater. With both hands free, he anchored one on her hip, squeezing and holding her tight. When her lips parted and her tongue flicked against his, Din groaned again, meeting her with a hesitant swipe of his tongue.

Tesabi hummed, breaking away just enough to look him in the eyes. She didn’t want to mess this up, didn’t want it to be too much for him. But when she opened her mouth to speak, Din dove in and kissed her again. The second kiss was open-mouthed and sloppy, but so filled with heat and need that it didn’t matter.

Her nails raked his scalp, and Din rocked his hips against her. When he tugged on her hair, she went pliant and soft against him, easily leaning back as he directed. His lips never broke contact with her skin as he kissed down to her jaw, turning feather light over her healing wound.

Just the gust of his breath on the skin of her neck made Tesabi shiver, a soft, gasping moan escaping her when he laid his lips there, and she leaned into him for support. Her entire body felt overheated, radiating from the slick gathering between her legs. Just a kiss. That was all it had taken.

Unable to restrain himself, Din bit down on the side of her neck, sucking hard at the soft skin. Like this, he could smell the faded remains of the perfume she wore, a little luxury she had bought for herself a few weeks back. It made him think of springtime, of fresh, growing things. The noise she made as he sucked a mark into her flesh was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard; a breathy moan tapering off into the single syllable of his name.

At the touch of her hand on his face, Din came up again, letting her catch him in a kiss. “Bed,” she muttered urgently, nipping at his bottom lip.

It was one of the most difficult things that Din had ever done, letting go of her just then. But he did, scooping up the Child and his toy and returning both to the nook. The he was back, grabbing Tesabi by the wrist and pulling her the few meters across the floor to his little room.

The moment the door shut behind them, Din was pushing her up against it, devouring her mouth as his gloved hands tore at her clothes. She whined, responding to the kiss but unable to strip him of his armor. So instead, she threaded her fingers into his hair again. It was tangled—as it always was by the helmet—and Din felt briefly self-conscious. But she teased her fingers through the knots, and they gently came undone. The kiss softened as her nails dug in gently, drawing random patterns.

“Suffering _stars_ , _cyare_ ,” Din muttered, breaking the kiss to gasp.

“Is… is that a word I can call you?” Teasabi asked, sounding breathless.

Din groaned again, trying to cover the whimper that had risen to his lips at her question. Nuzzling back into her neck, Din fumbled at his wrist computer, starting to strip off his armor. He had to break away to really take everything off, his belt and bandolier clattering to the floor. The armor he laid aside with more care, set in a rushed stack on one of the stacked crates by the door.

Able to draw her closer, Din grabbed the backs of Tesabi’s thighs, hoisting her into the air. She squeaked, latching onto his shoulders as he turned. She was in the air only for a moment before he was laying her out on the cot. It was a small thing, yet more and more they had slept together there, laying on their sides and pressed flush from head to toe.

Part of Tesabi wanted to turn on the lights, to be able keep looking at Din. She could have looked at him forever. But he was still kissing her, up on his knees and bent painfully over her as he fumbled with his clothes. With a little help on her part, his chest was laid bare, and her hands hungrily flatted against his warm skin.

Bracing on his forearm, Din slipped his other hand under her, undoing the clasp of her bra. He didn’t bother breaking away to remove it, pushing it up and out of the way to latch onto her nipple. Tesabi made a startled sound; the sensation suddenly felt so new to her, wet heat and suction.

Her broken moan made Din’s cock throb, and he groaned against her. Moving between her breasts, he sucked another mark into her skin, feeling her arch and squirm. Even without the helpful filters of his helmet, Din could see the mark against her skin in the dark, knowing it would darken as time passed.

As he moved to her other breast, his hands moved down, shoving the loose waistband of her borrowed pants down. When his hand dipped further, between her legs, it was his turn to make a strangled sound. She was _soaked_ , slippery and almost swollen.

“Stars, sweet girl,” he murmured, laying wet sucking kisses between her breasts, torn between drinking in the noises she was making, and moving down, closer to his goal. “I still remember how good you tasted on my fingers, _cyare_ ,” he rumbled, already low voice turning to a growl.

He didn’t need to say anymore. Tesabi spread her legs under him and Din moved down, peeling off her pants and tossing them over his shoulder. Laying on his stomach between her spread thighs, he took a moment just to look at her, fingers stroking through the small patch of curls above her mound.

No matter how eager he was, he still lifted one of her legs, rising up to place a soft kiss on the inside of her knee. Tesabi shivered. The next touch of his mouth was harsher, sucking her hard against his teeth. It _stung_ , the skin of her thighs soft and delicate. But his thumb was tracing through her folds, pushing her slick up over her clit.

Pleasure edged the pain of another sucking bite, her back arching and her hands grabbing fistful of the blanket beneath her. Din was practically growling between her legs, his hands pulling on her. Tesabi’s eyes watered when he began to pluck at her clit the way she liked, the twisting sensations almost bordering on _too much_.

But then his mouth was on her, licking a hot stripe up her cunt, two thick fingers pressing into her as he mimicked the motions of his thumb with his tongue. It began as such a _soft_ feeling, delicate almost. Then his fingers curled and he _sucked_ , drawing the tiny bundle of nerves against his lips. Her hips jerked up against him, cursing on her shuddering intake of breath.

Din released her for soft kitten licks, pumping his fingers gently, only _just_ grazing the spot inside. “You taste _divine_ , _cyar’ika_ ,” he rasped, “so wet for me already…”

He was diving back in before she could respond, pressing hard with the flat of his tongue and flicking upwards over and over and over again. Tesabi could feel the warmth curling out into her limbs already, heat tightening in her core. Her hips arched upwards, thighs trembling around Din. She was _so close_ …

“F-fingers on—kriff!” She hoped he understood, and when he replaced his tongue with two spit-slick fingers against her clit, she keened.

“That’s it,” Din rumbled. “Come for me, sweet girl.”

And she did, eyes squeezing tight as her breathing stuttered, the flush on her cheeks turning almost crimson. The waves of heat swept her away, letting her soar for one brief, drawn-out moment. Then she was crashing down, overwhelmed and drowning in the shuddering of her body.

From between her quivering thighs, Din watched her fall apart as he never had. He could feel her cunt clench and flutter around his fingers, hips thrusting jerkily against him. Then she dropped down, hips canting back from him. He stopped, dipping his head in for a long, slow lick along her folds.

She shivered under him as he crawled back up, licking slowly into her mouth. Tesabi responded immediately, winding her arms around his neck and cupping the back of his head. Din melted at the slow scratch on his scalp like a neglected loth-cat, curling over her.

To taste herself in Din’s kiss had heat curling in her gut all over again. The way he laid over her had his erection pressed into her thigh, and she lifted it, grinding up into him just to swallow the ragged sound he made. If this was the only time she could have this, she would do her best to take him apart the way he had done for her. To drive him as mad as his kiss did her.

Din _growled_ , a possessive surge catching fire in his veins. He wanted to stay like this, to keep kissing her forever. But he knew what she liked, and he wanted to have that view, to _really_ see her.

Rearing back on his knees, he man-handled her onto all fours, folding over to bite at the back of her shoulder. She felt so small like this, his hips slotted against hers and the curve of her back fitting perfectly against his chest. Coming back up, he stroked his hands down her spine, sucking in a breath as she arched, pressing her ass back against him, grinding. 

He didn’t have the patience to really take his pants off, so he pulled them down enough to free his cock, angling it to rub against her folds. Her orgasm had left her so slick that he slid against her like silk, their groans mingling. A few more lazy thrusts and Tesabi was squirming.

“Din—fuck!—please!”

Something dark curled in his chest, and Din smirked down at her. “Please _what_ , sweet thing?” he purred, dragging his nails lightly down her back as he continued to rock against her, just enough to tease. When her back arched up into his hand, he dug his nails in a second time, _raking_ them down her back.

“Kriff! Maker, fuck!”

Din leaned down, curling his hand around her throat and squeezing. “There’s no Maker here, _cyar’ika_ ,” he growled. “Just me.” He squeezed just a little tighter. “Now beg for it.”

The rough shiver made Tesabi’s whole body jerk, his words making her cunt clench tightly on _nothing_. She felt dizzy, overwhelmed, and needy. “Din, _please_ ,” she wailed, “fuck me, use me, just—!”

“Good girl,” he praised, bucking his hips and sheathing himself in a single stroke. The way she arched, shoulders pushing up as she buried her face in the pillow, pussy clenching around him… Were he a man of less control, Din could have come then and there. But he was far from done.

Anchoring his hands on her hips, he squeezed the way she liked. He didn’t give her time to adjust, didn’t have the patience. But she pushed back into his hammering pace, face turning to the side as she gasped for breath and cried out into the dark. She was perfect, beautiful and divine and all the lovely things in the galaxy that he didn’t deserve.

And yet he had them. He had the most perfect, beautiful woman—strong and soft in the same breath—laid out under him, pliant and submissive. Knowing her strength just made her submission sweeter, made him push harder. He dug in with his hands, squeezing until she whimpered with pain. But she was still pushing back against him, trying to meet his frenzied thrusts.

“So fucking good for me,” he praised. “Such a good, _sweet_ girl…”

Like this, Tesabi could feel him deeper, could squeeze around his girth in the most delicious way. The vice-like grip on her hips would surely bruise, and it _ached_ to be held so tight. But it was _Din_. It was _him_ , and she would take anything and everything he gave her _gladly_.

She cried out so sweetly, and Din couldn’t resist. Leaning down, he grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back for a sloppy kiss. Barely able to meet his lips, Tesabi whimpered in frustration, bending back and back and _back_ until she could. The hand not keeping him braced was suddenly everywhere. Her neck, her breasts, her stomach, pressing her back into him. 

“ _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum…_ ”

The Mando’a rolled off Din’s tongue, a prayer and an admission in one. Nothing else mattered to him for a moment. Just the sound of her voice, the way her sweat-slick skin slid against his, and the way she was bearing down on him, beginning to shake.

“Are you going to come again, _cyare_?” he rasped.

“Yes. Please, Din, I… I can’t—kriff!”

Din pressed his brow into her shoulder. “You’ve been so good for me,” he purred, is own breath ragged now. “Here.”

When his fingers found her clit again, Tesabi’s whole body shook. The heat coiled tighter and tighter with every thrust, until she was falling again, cry dying on her lips as her breathing shook. Din bit down on her shoulder, stifling his groan as she clamped down on him.

But he wasn’t done just yet. Far from it. He turned her to face him, sitting back and drawing her into his lap. Tesabi kissed him again as she rose up, letting him angle himself into her again. As she sank down, Din couldn’t help but stare. The soft, supremely satisfied look on her flushed face was very nearly breathtaking. Her legs shook as she rose up on him again, and Din caught her hips, pressing her down and simply rolling her in his lap.

Like this, he could kiss her, wrap her around him until there was no chance of letting go. Tesabi was just as eager, letting her hips follow his direction as she draped her arms around his shoulders, sucking on his bottom lip. With the warmth of orgasm still lingering in her limbs, she almost felt as if she could float away.

But Din’s hands grounded her, the heaving of his chest against hers, and the way his breath stuttered when she ducked under his chin to kiss his neck. She would be marked for days after this, she knew. It was only fair that she returned the favor, right?

“You’re so good to me,” she purred, trailing down his throat with soft, open-mouthed kisses. She got a string of soft curses in response, his hands tightening on her as his hips began to roll upwards. She let her moan vibrate into his shoulder before sucking hard at the skin, arms tightening around him.

The blunt pressure of her mouth sharpened, and Din’s cock throbbed at the threat of her blunted teeth. She was moving with him, rolling down onto each thrust, whispering her feelings into his skin. It was a torrent of things she’d been holding in, he realized, secrets she’d buried deep in her heart to protect herself.

The thought of such devotion being for him— _just_ for him—was earth-shattering. He was bucking up against her weight now, his own end becoming a knot of heat at the base of his spine, tighter and tighter and tighter. “Fuck, sweet girl. I’m gonna—”

Tesabi clutched him close, tightening around him. “Inside,” she gasped, rocked by the force of his thrusts. “Please, inside.” Her voice sounded absolutely _wrecked_ , like it took everything she had just to speak. She undid him, and Din bowed his head into her shoulder as the knot of heat finally came undone, thrusts stuttering to a halt as he emptied himself inside her.

Humming in satisfaction, Tesabi shivered, closing her eyes to savor the burst of heat within her. Her limbs were tingling, every lingering trace of cold chased from her body. She let herself sag against him, planting yet more breathless kisses on Din’s shoulder. They sat together for a moment, basking in the moment. With a groan, Din lifted her off of him, laying her carefully back onto the cot. Stroking a hand over her thigh, he leaned down and kissed her.

“Wait here,” he murmured.

Not really all that concerned with speaking, Tesabi hummed and nodded, relaxing back into the cot. Her eyes drifted closed at some point, opening when the soft pad of Din’s feet returned, his weight settling beside her. He wiped her down with a wet cloth, motions slow and careful on her oversensitive body.

Tesab’s eyes followed the line of his arm, watching the subtle flex of muscle under bronze skin. Then along his marked shoulder, and the beautiful line of his neck. At the sight of his chin, she reflexively looked away.

But his hand caught her chin, tilting it up as he leaned down for a gentle kiss. The dream-like quality was gone in a blink. This was real. Tesabi kissed him back, humming as the kiss deepened. Then Din was sitting her up, coaxing her with him to put a cup of water in her hands.

As she sipped the delightfully cold water, she felt Din’s hands flutter along her neck and shoulders, likely examining the marks he had left behind. Sneaking a look out of the corner of her eye, she could see how enthralled he was, and her heart swelled.

Setting down the cup, she turned back to him, leaning in to kiss his chest. He tasted of salt and clean skin, and she smiled as she drew a line with the tip of her nose up the curve of his throat. “Do we have time to sleep?” she murmured. They still had to find the Jedi, after all.

Laying a hand on her thigh, Din kissed the top of her head. “Mm. Few hours.”

“Good.” Tesabi dropped back down with a grunt. Din moved to let her squirm under the covers, sitting on the edge of the cot and looking down at her with the _softest_ look on his face. She would treasure this moment forever, no matter what happened in the future. If she never saw his face again, she would still be able to remember the gentle, contented smile on his beautiful face.

As her eyes drifted shut, a thought occurred to her. “What did that other stuff mean?” she asked sleepily. “The Mando’a?”

Sliding under the blankets with her, Din put an arm around her waist. “The closest translation is ‘I know you forever’,” he explained. He kissed her shoulder, their legs tangling together. “It also means that I love you.” Her sleepy smile was everything to him.

“I love you, too, Din.”


End file.
